A Midsummer's Ice Cream
by DorestadGirl
Summary: It's midsummer and to celebrate that event all witches and wizards dress up as animals and gather in Diagon Alley, where a redhead is hoping to meet a certain blonde.


While she was watching a hyena and a lion dance together, a voice, suddenly very close to her ear, whispered: 'Good evening kitten, you look purrfect!' She whipped her head around and tried to hide the grin that was spreading across her face. She had hoped to gaze in these mercury grey eyes tonight and she was delighted that he had managed to find her so early in the evening. Then she frowned, taking in his whole appearance. 'Malfoy!' she exclaimed, 'why aren't you wearing a costume. You know it is common to dress up as an animal at the midsummer celebrations!'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Very common indeed. Tell me, Ginevra, you hadn't really expected me to participate in such…' he waved his hand at the people surrounding them, '… frivolities?'

'Only you could think yourself to be above everybody else.' she laughed at him. In her dealings with him the previous month she had learned not to take him, or anything he said, too serious.

He continued to glare at her with his raised eyebrow and then turned to her companion. 'And who are you? You're difficult to recognise with those large eyes and wide mouth. Come on …'he pressed as the boy besides her remained silent, 'you haven't lost your tongue, have you?'

'I… I… I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom, sir… Dra… Malfoy.' Neville stuttered.

She could only just catch the grin Draco tried to hide behind his hand. 'Longbottom eh,' he said, 'do us all a favour and go somewhere else. Go get an ice-cream, a drink or a girl, for all I care, but could you please leave miss Weasley and me alone for a couple of minutes?'

Ok, she thought to herself, sometimes he is cute when he becomes all arrogant and demanding, but not when it concerns her friends. Coldly she turned to him. 'Malfoy,' she hissed, 'I will not tolerate you talking to my friends like that. If you're going to act like a pig, you might as well leave. I came to London to have a nice time, not to watch you treat my friends like shit.'

He opened his mouth to reply but she silenced him by placing her finger on his lips. 'In a minute,' she told him and gave him a wink. Then she turned to Neville, 'can I talk to you in private for a second?' she asked. Before he could answer she grabbed his hand and stalked off with him until they were just out of earshot of the beautiful blonde, who was actually smiling to himself. 'I need a favour to ask.' She looked at Neville hopefully. 'Sure, he's an arrogant git sometimes, but, can you please, please leave us for some minutes?'

Neville's look was one of utter despair: 'This is the bloke you were hoping to meet?' He clutched his cheeks. 'Oh God, Ron's going to kill me!'

She shook her head, 'nobody is going to kill anybody, besides, it's just a fling.' She pressed him some of her hard-earned coins in his hand. 'Go buy something at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour,' she said, 'I hear they have a lot of great festival specialities. See you in half an hour!' She pushed him in the general direction of the ice cream shop and nearly run back to where the blond was still waiting for her.

The couple didn't waste any time on continuing their argument. In fact, they didn't really exchange a lot of words. When Ginny finally gasped for air she realised they'd had their half an hour and Neville was now probably waiting for her.

She sighed while she pushed herself away from Draco. His eyes focused on hers and darkened, this time it wasn't with lust. 'You're going back to the toad,' he observed.

'Don't you call him that!'

He sighed. 'Well, he's dressed like one. Look, Ginevra, all I want to say is this: you know I like … what we have. But it's not enough. I don't want to sneak around and only get you for half an hour! You've got to make a choice! You know I won't be waiting for you for ever!'

'I know,' she murmured, 'but not right now, ok? I need to find Neville, it's not fair to him if he has to sit there alone.' She raised herself on her tiptoes and pressed a long kiss on Draco's lips. 'Walk me to the ice shop?' she asked.

All the tables in the shop were occupied with all sorts of animals, but Neville was nowhere to be seen. The girl behind the counter, dressed as a panda, did remember seeing a toad but had no clue to when or with whom he had left.

When they left shop, she was anxiously pulling on her whiskers, so Draco put his arm around her. 'Come on Gin,' he said 'don't work yourself up like that, he'll be fine. Probably met a nice girl and hit it off.'

'You don't get it,' she snapped at him. 'Neville would never just leave me like that! He'd tell me were he went, or at least leave a message for me!'

Draco shrugged. 'So he was a bit sloppy, nothing to worry about.'

'But it is!' she exclaimed, 'I promised his grandmother to take care of him tonight. I can't believe I lost him!'

'Seriously? He's what, nineteen years old? He doesn't need anybody to hold his hand like he's an infant!'

She couldn't help herself, a tiny smile spread across her face. 'Are you sticking up for Neville?' she asked.

'So what if I am,' he shrugged, 'all I'm saying is that you're making a fuss about nothing, lets order an ice cream, my treat, and if he doesn't show up within an hour I'll personally help you comb the streets.'

Reluctantly she agreed and ordered the hedgehog strawberry special. Just like Draco said, within fifteen minutes Neville showed up, holding hands with a sweet looking female duck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **this was written as a response to a challenge initiated by Hester at the DG forum.

Length: 999 words.

**Guidelines or Requirements: **Must be Draco/Ginny centered, but can have side pairings. Must be focused on a summer trip to Diagon Alley and a lost toad. Can be Hogwarts era or Post Hogwarts. Romance is preferable.

Length: Between 400 and 1000.

Rating: No higher than a T.

Deadline: Monday 27th June, midnight forum time.

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim, I own nothing :(


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